LOCAL TALENT // THE BEARDED CANDLES MAKERS

On their beautiful website, the simply wonderful Mark & Michael also known as The Bearded Candle Makers, describe themselves as "two bearded guys from Belfast with a passion for documenting our stories through scent."

It's a wonderful premise and one I was keen to explore further as I thought about the evocative relationship between smell, scent, memory and feeling, so I had a wee chat with them to find out more about their inspiration and future plans.  What was clear from the outset was that these two 'have it', so to speak: masters of their craft and creating totally unique products with a real sense of place and a feeling of belonging and home.

Here's what they had to say...  

+ YOUR FRAGRANCES ARE SO UNIQUE, WHERE DOES YOUR INSPIRATION COME FROM? +

We look for inspiration everywhere we go!  Our aim was to create scents for our candles unlike anything else on the market.  Within the candle industry there has been a real lack in new inspiring scents in the last five years and that is where we come in!  

+ LIKE YOUR RANGE OF SCENTS INSPIRED BY IRELAND? +

Exactly.  We use our passion for exploring the hidden parts of the west of Ireland for our Irish Collection ranging from our contemporary coffee scent inspired by Shells Seaside Cafe in Strandhill, to the earthy scent of Achill Island in late Autumn!  We also use our favourite books and stories for a completely different range.  Everywhere we go, we are looking for an amazing story to turn into a scent.

+ SO, WHAT DOES YOUR STORY ENTAIL?  +

It all started on 2003 when we made our first candle and started creating fragrances.  We spent a year learning our craft and when we launched our business the response blew us away.  We are currently building a new candle studio/workshop and are lucky to live near the sea and the Mourne Mountains, so we are surrounded my natural beauty to constantly inspire us.  We are hoping to open it up for workshops and open days in the near future!

Michael has also recently gone into full time candle making and handed in his notice in at work.  He has decided his new job titles are: Scent Explorer, Scent Builder and Wax Pourer.

+ THAT'S AMAZING!  SO YOU WILL BE RUNNING WORKSHOPS SOON? +

Yes, we are currently setting up candle making workshops and hope to have the details finalised very soon!  The future is ram packed with possibilities for The Bearded Candle Makers.  As well as classes, we are also working on a book lovers collection of candles with layered scents that will change to match parts from the book it is based on!  

WATCH THIS SPACE! 

Want to know more?

You can follow the Bearded Candle Makers in person at: St George’s Market, Belfast every Sunday //

The Fine and Dandy Market on the last Sunday of each month // The ND Craft Collective on the second Saturday of each month

or online…

www.thebeardedcandlemakers.com

https://twitter.com/BeardedCandles

https://www.instagram.com/thebeardedcandlemakers/

https://www.facebook.com/thebeardedcandlemakers/

MAKE // FIVE DIY PROJECTS TO DO THIS WEEK

+ CARVE YOUR OWN RUBBER STAMPS // A BEAUTIFUL MESS +

+ HOMEMADE JOURNALS // A BEAUIFUL MESS +

+ DIY WASHI TAPE CLOCKS // TELL LOVE & PARTY +

+DIY FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS // HONESTLYWTF +

+ DIY MARBLED MUGS // DIY CANDY +

SHARE YOU MAKES WITH #HANDMADENI

LARNE CELEBRATES CREATIVE TALENT AT LOCAL EXPO

Get creative at Latharna Creative Exposition on Saturday 14^thMay! - written by Lauren Dawson, Latharna Creative Collective            

Over 30 artists, musicians, writers and performers are getting ready to showcase their talent at an exciting new event taking place in Larne Market Yard on Saturday 14^th May, 11am-4pm.

The Latharna Creative Collective is a new professional arts group which hopes to showcase the multiple talents that exists within the Larne area!

The new group of artists covers all art mediums (visual, applied, performance, design, photography and literature) and they all hail from the Larne area including Carnlough, Glenarm, Islandmagee and Ballycarry.

Visitors on the day will be treated to an exciting, interactive creative atmosphere, including a chance to meet the artists, purchase artworks, and participate in art demonstrations and workshops.

Visitors will be kept entertained as there will be live performances from local musicians including Larne Music Yard, guitarist and singer/songwriter Matthew Malcolm, and new group The Woodburn (who will be making their live debut at the event!). Local authors will also provide short readings from their books to introduce their work.

And make sure to head over to the event early, as local performing arts group Uplift will open the event at 11am with a flash mob of dance to set the upbeat mood for the day. 

There will be fun for all the family with children’s art activities from CampArt and street theatre to add to the atmosphere, as well as readings by children's authors Luan Ingram, and Hilary Bailey who will be joined by her four legged friend and star of her books, Skye!

Participating artists include; Geraldine Connon, Jon Lashford, Miguel Neves, Sasha McVey, Trisha Campbell, Laura Butler, Ann Caldwell, Audrey Kyle, Louis Humphrey, Rosalind Topping, Amanda McAfee, Juliane Keane, Philip Malcolm, Helen Burgess, Ruftyroohah, Vincent Taggart, Larne Art Club and Larne Grammar School.

Writers involved in the event, include Ian Andrew, Angeline King, Thomas Jobling, Luan Ingram and Hilary Bailey.

There will be performances from The Music Yard, Matthew Malcolm, The Woodburn, Larne Drama Circle and Uplift Performing Arts.

The event is free and will run from 11am-4pm and  has been kindly supported by Mid and East Antrim Borough.

For more information check out www.facebook.com/latharnacreativecollective.

Twitter: @LarneCreatives 

+ LOCAL TALENT // BEST BUDS BELFAST +

I came across one of those Instagram feeds this week that immediately blew me away with its stunning images of super modern floral posies and simple Eco packaging.

Imagine how giddy I was then to find out that that Instagram feed belonged to floral designer Caitlin McGinniss, owner of Best Buds Belfast, a company offering seasonal bunches of flowers delivered daily across Belfast.

I was desperate to know more so I gave her a shout to ask her a little about her background; what inspired her to start Best Buds; and what her plans are for the future.

+ SO WHEN DID YOU START BEST BUDS?

Starting my own business had been a long time coming. I had made halfhearted attempts at starting businesses in the past, but never with the gusto and enthusiasm I have for Best Buds.  I started Best Buds in February 2015 and spent a year working two jobs before deciding to give my everything to it in February of this year when it became my full time job.

+ IT ALL SEEMED TO HAPPEN QUICKLY!  HOW DID IT COME ABOUT?

I'd been working for my cousins Catherine and Patricia who own Maven.  They've really inspired me by turning their passion for interiors, design and retail into a successful business so, whilst working for them, I started looking into gaps in the market to see what I could create for myself.  I'd worked assisting landscape gardeners whilst at university so I had an interest in flowers and gardening, but I had honestly never ever thought of turning that interest into a business. I have some friends in the floral industry in Belfast and abroad and I knew that no-one was doing daily posy deliveries, so I saw a gap in the market and decided to go for it. 

I was lucky that I was able to retail through Maven so very quickly my business was able to grow.  Within a few months I was doing the flowers for cafes and shops in Belfast and realised that if I wanted to make a real go at this, now was the time; I needed to strike while the iron was hot!

+ TELL US ABOUT YOUR USUAL DAY.

My alarm can go off anytime from 5am - 6.30am depending on what I need to do for the day ahead.  I check orders for the day, head to the flower market and come home to create the daily posy.  Then I photograph the posy, get it up on social media and sit back for the orders to roll in (or not, I'm not always that lucky).

By about 11am, I have a pretty good idea of how many posies I'll need to be escorting around town so I start writing the messages onto cards, mapping out a route and condition the flowers before jumping into the car and setting off.
Flowers are usually delivered between 12.30 and 4.30 so I can avoid the rush hour traffic. By 4.30 my productivity has begun to diminish so I normally settle to a cafe for an hour or so to do some paper work, or more often than not, go home and start vacuuming up the leaves and stems that I've left all over my house.

+ IT SOUNDS LIKE A BUSY DAY!

It is but, there is no better feeling than seeing the look on people's face when you deliver flowers to someone who isn't expecting them!

+ SO, DO YOU HAVE ANY FUTURE PLANS FOR BEST BUDS?

I'm trying to just focus on daily posies at the moment. I often get asked about wedding flowers and event flowers, which I happily pass on to other contacts within the industry as I just really want to grow this part of my business. Ideally I'd like to get to a point where I can work with a small team of floral enthusiasts, so I can learn from others and grow the business so I can spread more and more floral joy around Ireland.

You can find out more about Best Buds Belfast over on their website and follow Caitlin's Instagram feed here.  I highly highly recommend it for daily thumb scrolling pleasure!

#MMMAY16 // ME MADE MAY

The annual Me Made May (#mmmay16) starts tomorrow - are you taking part?  

The brain child of blogger, So Zo, What Do You Know? and now in its sixth year Me Made May 

"is a challenge designed to encourage people who sew/knit/crochet/refashion/upcycle garments for themselves to wear and love them more."  

Basically, you wear something you have made every day for the month of May and, if you so wish, post a photo on social media with the hashtag #mmmay16.

Follow the link to find out more and sign up here...SIGN UP FOR #MMMAY16

IMAGE CREDIT: Instagram - @lauralovespugs

SUPPLIES // THEFOLDLINE.COM

THEFOLDLINE.COM, a brand new webiste for sewers, launched last week offering members a "central hub to socialise, review patterns and keep up-to-date with the latest news and pattern releases."

The brainchild of Kate and Rachel who met whilst working at popular London sewing cafe, Sew Over The Fold Line descibes itself as a social network with an online community forum to chat and share tips plus a comprehensive patterns database with a novel sewing-specific search facility.  

Being cited as Ravelry for sewers, they also have a great blog featuring shopping guides, look books and more.  It's free to join and certainly worth a look if stitched stuff if your kind of thing!  

Take a look now at thefoldline.com. 

+ LOCAL TALENT // WHITE CHALK STUDIO +

"Whilst I admire clean lines and minimalist spaces...anyone who sees my home will realise that I adore colour and pattern!"

Lisa Dodds of WHITE CHALK STUDIO re-opened her order book last month, after a nine month break away to have her third daughter, and I was super excited to see what she had in store for her relaunch.  Always offering a delightful mix of clean, colourful wares she describes her range as "handmade loveliness for you, your home and you little people" and her brand new product range is just that.

A beautiful mixture of hand printed textiles, tactile homewares, personalised illustrations and childrenswear, every item in her range appears to ecstatically sing out in celebration of a deeply felt connection to people, time and place, and are joyful reminders of our most treasured memories.

In anticipation of her return to The Fine & Dandy Market this weekend I asked her a few questions about her background, inspirations and plans for the future...

+SO LISA, WHERE DOES YOU INSPIRATION COME FROM?

"Lots of things. Things I read, pictures I see, places I go!  I love how iconic buildings can be so individual to a place, and so full of history, (I LOVE visiting historic places and seeing how people used to live!)  

"I'm an interior designer by trade and love the drawing aspect of it - being able to represent a space or place on paper. I love how a place can evoke memories, from my very first illustration of Narrow Water Castle where I got married to my grandparents house which holds so many happy memories. A home is more than just a building, it is the everyday, the laughter and the tears, and its a real privilege to be asked to draw somewhere that means something to someone."

+ HOME MUST BE IMPORTANT TO YOU?  IS THAT WHERE YOU WORK?

"Yes, I have a little space in my garage, which is my studio. It is tiny but it works and after trying to work in my dining room for 6 months it definitely helps being able to leave unfinished work and close the door! My mum once bought me a little painted sign saying 'clutter is creative' and that's a good way to sum up my work space. To the naked eye it is a jumble of fabric, pens,   a sewing machine and printer but I know exactly where everything is. 

"Saying that, I mostly draw at my kitchen or dining room table, wherever I get the chance with three little ladies running about! I also have been to known to do some quick sketches whilst cooking dinner.   I grab snippets of time wherever I can get them; life is busy and hectic and pink but drawing and being creative helps to keep me grounded and my five and three year olds often keep me company and draw pictures 'just like mummy'!"  

+ SO WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU BEAUTIFUL WARES?

"For now, I am looking forward to some fairs in the run up to Christmas, I'm just returning after having taken a break to have my third baby girl, who is now nearly nine months old - it will be great to get back to it! Look out for lots of new illustrations! 

"I also plan on developing my Etsy shop to make products and prints a little more easily available! And I have some new stockists lined up which I am so excited to share with everyone soon."

You can follow Lisa and White Chalk Studio on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or see her face to face at this weekend's Fine & Dandy Market at The Crescent Arts Centre Belfast 27th September 2015).